BSP chief Mayawati and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday expressed reservations about the recent Supreme Court verdict allowing sub-classification within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for education and job quotas.

“The BSP disagrees with the Supreme Court’s order that sub-classification should be done within SCs and STs. Such an exercise will complicate the reservation process when we start dividing the SCs and STs into several smaller categories. Moreover, it is unwise to give such an order in a 20-year-old case in Punjab,” Mayawati told a news conference.

“Questions have been raised over the creamy layer (that has been introduced in the SC, ST categories) also. This looks like the abolition of the reservation system. We warn the government not to interfere in the existing reservation system,” she added.

Targeting the BJP and the Congress, Mayawati said their lawyers didn’t argue the case for the SC/ST community properly in the court. “Congress’s and BJP’s lawyers didn’t do their jobs diligently. This was the reason the apex court gave such an order. The fact remains that despite reservation in education and government jobs, the social condition of the SCs has not changed much because they were victims of mass discrimination for centuries.”

She said the BJP government must adopt a resolution in Parliament that the reservation would not be abolished. “We also request the Supreme Court to reconsider its order,” the BSP boss said.

Chirag, the president of BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), asserted that his party would appeal against the verdict.

“Our party will request the Supreme Court to review its recent judgment on SC-ST reservation allowing sub-classification and identification of creamy layer among them. We will file a review petition on it,” Chirag told reporters.

Chirag, a Dalit leader, pointed out that allowing the creation of sub-groups in the quota for the SC and identifying a creamy layer among them would “not fulfil the objective of the uplift of the marginalised section of the society that has faced untouchability for centuries”.

Stating that his statements should not be construed as a comment on the apex court’s ruling, Chirag said: “It is our party’s grievance and we will approach the Supreme Court for its redress. The basis of quota for the Scheduled Castes is untouchability and it is still prevalent in the society.”

Earlier, the RJD had opposed the verdict. “Our party is against the sub-categorisation of the SCs and STs with regard to reservation. We hold it (sub-classification) to be against the 1932 Poona Pact and the spirit of the Constitution,” Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had said.